Featured Member: Angela Shank

Tell us your work story : Who are you and what do you do?

I am an Associate Certified Coach and ICF accredited specializing in Relationship Coaching.

 

 

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

Creating a successful full time coaching business within one year of certification

 

 

What is the hardest challenge you’ve faced, work-wise? 

Understanding where to get clients, what clients are really looking for and how I could be an expert in that field

 

 

What advice do you have for other women looking to make a career change but are afraid or lack confidence? 

Build on your strengths and manage your weaknesses

 

 

 

How do you negotiate the balance between life and work when you are the one setting the boundaries?

When i’m not working i’m not working – I stay in the present moment

 

 

How do you make work work for you? 

Making a list of my top 3 priorities everyday and accomplishing them

 

 

 

If you would like to be considered for Featured Member spotlight please fill out this form: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/featuredmemberquestionnaire

 

Mastering Parental Leave In Real Time

 

Big News– Kiirsten (Kiki to us) is about to have a baby!! It’s the first Second Shift employee to have a baby and go out on family leave. In full transparency, this has been a moment of both fear and excitement for all of us.  Kiki is an invaluable team member and her role in client and member success and operations is enmeshed in all areas of our company.

 

Theoretically, we have a deep understanding of parental leave having placed numerous fill-in roles and as the creators of the Let’s Be Human: Welcoming Parenthood (And All That Comes With It) platform to train managers and employees on successfully executing parental leave. So, as self-proclaimed experts, we realized this was a unique opportunity to put our program to work on ourselves. Kemp and Kiki have had the most work to do– from Kemp creating our leave policy to Kiirsten training others to do her job with confidence–here is what they discovered: 

 

Kiirsten’s insights as the employee going on leave: 

 

Plan in reverse. A pearl of wisdom gifted to me was to cross the t’s by week 36 of pregnancy instead of my estimated due date. I shared the news with my team on the early side, but even if you choose to wait: research your company, state, and federal benefits and start crafting a guideline for covering responsibilities during your parental leave. Time flies and the formalities of time off may include multiple components in your organization like management, an HR department, a PEO, and more – in addition to navigating job coverage. 

 

Go for confidence, calm, and creativity. Designing an empowered and resourceful parental leave roadmap gave our team a chance to zoom out from the daily workflow and lent me an opportunity to look at how to make my position, processes, and projects transparent and teachable. Questions I considered included: how do I sharpen my business for the benefit of the business; who will hold my role and what does an effective training model look like; what do I want my return to feel like? By discussing mutual expectations around this life/career stage, it infuses a sense of stability in what could feel like a world of swirling personal and professional unknowns. 

 

Think about the future. Consider whether you may be mid-project as you temporarily exit stage left, as well as what will be happening within your company and industry around the approximate time you return to work. Will your leave begin during a product launch you’ve been working on all year or will you be re-entering work during fundraising or event season? It was important to me to invest the time to look ahead at the business calendar and strategic goals to arrange for team-wide success and a low-stress return. 

 

Kemp’s Insights from the employer perspective: 

 

Educate Yourself. Review applicable law with your HR professional or employment counsel to make sure your policy is compliant.  States such as California have specific obligations for employers regarding employee leave, 

Plan ahead!  Spend time with your employee to determine (1) what are mission critical responsibilities? (2) What employees can cover for her? (3) Do we need to hire a (Second Shift) contractor to provide coverage? Have her create a document outlining key coverage needs while she is out.

Be Creative and Compromise. Implement policies that work for your business.  How long?  Paid vs. unpaid leave? Small businesses often can’t offer the level of leave benefits as larger companies but we can offer flexibility, work from home options, and individual support.  Be creative and make her feel valued.

 

We are still in the before stage of Kiki’s leave and will update you as this journey progresses. If you would like more information about Let’s Be Human and our parental leave platform please reach out to info@thesecondshift.com.

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Featured Member: Jennifer Beatty

Tell us your work story : Who are you and what do you do?

 

I am a seasoned communications leader with skills in corporate communications, investor relations, crisis management and media relations. I have a passion for capital markets and for telling a company’s story to audiences via traditional and digital channels. I enjoy connecting the dots on how a news headline or economic data release could impact financial markets and organizations each day.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

 

Successfully launching an initial public offering (IPO) for a company that was splitting up its businesses.

What is the hardest challenge you’ve faced, work-wise?

The pandemic: Overnight work tripled and work posture changed. Not to mention the additional demands faced with kids home schooling …

What advice do you have for other women looking to make a career change but are afraid or lack confidence? How is it on the other side?

Trust yourself and push yourself towards something new. Ensure you find the right fit culturally as being fulfilled and happy in a career has carryover benefits for your personal life.

Do you have any advice on how to craft a winning pitch?

Be authentic about your experience. Sell yourself more. Try to show your passion for the gig as that will shine through.

What continues to draw you to your chosen field and what do you hope to accomplish in the years ahead?

I’m passionate about telling stories, whether it’s for a company to recruit investors or sell its product. Explaining the hard numbers is required, but the story behind the numbers is what makes people listen.

What is the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?

 

Believe in yourself. Try something new. You’re ready.

How do negotiate the balance between life and work when you are the one setting the boundaries?

To be honest, it has been challenging to manage a good work like balance over the years. Sometimes, you can give more to work and other times, especially during the pandemic and beyond, I’ve found myself needing more time for my personal life. And I’m actively trying to find work situations that allow for that at this point.

If you could tell your younger self one thing about what this professional journey would be like, what would you tell her?

A cliche but oh so true: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Expect windy roads and dead ends and the need to change course a time or two. But that will ultimately make the journey more rewarding.

How do you make work work for you?

 

It has been an evolution. Prior to the pandemic, I had a head-down approach to work and outsourced things in my personal life to make the job work. Post pandemic, I can no longer unknown the importance of work flexibility and I’m actively seeking those opportunities that allow me to utilize my skills but in a more flexible operating environment.

Want to be considered for a Featured Member highlight?

Fill out this survey!! 

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Mentorship Program

 

 

The Second Shift is excited to announce the opportunity to book 1-1 coaching/mentorship sessions with founder Jenny Galluzzo.

 

With this Mentorship offering you can book:

  • Private 1-1 Zoom Consultations with Second Shift Co-Founder Jenny Galluzzo
  • Get expert advice for: LinkedIn Review, resume review, career guidance and support, access to wider TSS network for personal introductions to boost your career path or pivot and enhance your networking engagement
  • Have Jenny do your personal TSS vetting and introductory call

 

Rate

TSS Member: $125 / 30 minutes and $200 / 60 minutes

Everyone Else: $175 / 30 minutes and $250 / 60 minutes

 

Book:

Book a Mentorship session with Jenny through this link:

 

 

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Success Story: Dear Annabelle!

 

The Client:

Dear Annabelle is a line of luxury stationary and paper products started by Marcie Pantzer, a dear friend of our co-founder Jenny Galluzzo and an investor in The Second Shift. When she launched her line in 2018 she came to us to find a graphic designer to work with. and we knew we had to find her a superstar. Julie Teninbaum was the perfect choice– she is a seasoned pro with a whimsical and fun vibe who is also a pleasure to work with. Four years later their design collaboration is still going strong!

The Quote:

When I decided to launch Dear Annabelle, I knew that one of the most important hires would be a dependable, creative and wildly talented graphic designer. My business wasn’t financially ready to hire a full-time graphic designer so the Second Shift was a perfect option for me. Through the platform I was introduced to nearly a dozen vetted designers and was able to find one who was a fit personally and creatively.  Being able to outsource such an important role to a trusted resource helped me grow quickly and financially responsibly.

 

The Hire:

From the start, Jenny, Gina and Kemp imagined this community into being: rooting for  women like me; reminding me I could still be relevant and ambitious — and that this wasn’t contradictory to being a mother. Through the years, I have won several pitches, and also lost a few that I wish I’d gotten. I’ve passed over a few I would have liked but was too busy with other projects to fit them in. But I always appreciate when new notifications appear in my inbox, for the possibilities they offer. When I was linked with Marcie Pantzer of Dear Annabelle in 2018, I loved her aesthetic and feel so lucky that 4 years later, we are still working together.

Marcie’s taste is impeccable, and she has created a sumptuous line of stationery products that is, at times, quirky and refined (a winning combination). I was originally brought on to help design and layout stationery and presentation materials, which I still do. Over time, though, we have also worked together on expansions of her lines: wrapping paper, place cards, gift tags and more. We work well together, back and forth, mainly over email, which I love because it’s I have time-commitments (mostly kid-related) which cut into my day. I value her judgement, her attention to detail and her on-target communication.

If you want to hire a Second Shift member and have your own success story please reach out to info@thesecondshift.com

 

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Featured Member: Rebecca Raphael

Hi Rebecca! We are so excited to showcase your unique talents and career path. To start, tell us your work story : who are you and what do you do?

 

I am a writer/editor who has worked in daytime TV, magazines, book publishing, non-profit consulting … any and every medium involving storytelling and/or content strategy.

 

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

 

I was Dr. Phil’s writer and editor for more than a decade (for many of his books and all of his columns for O: The Oprah Magazine), and I recently co-authored my first book, “Family Values: Restore Trust, Boundaries, and Connection with Your Child.”

What continues to draw you to your chosen field and what do you hope to accomplish in the years ahead?

 

Words have endless power to convey ideas and stories — I cherish being the brains behind any impactful story.

If you could tell your younger self one thing about what this professional journey would be like, what would you tell her?

 

Self-promotion may make you want to vomit and feel disingenuous, but it’s an essential part of marketing yourself and building out your business as a freelancer. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. You’re really good at what you do.

How do you make work work for you? 

 

I feel incredibly grateful that I am able to pick projects that are meaningful to me and have a flexible work schedule. When sh*t hits the fan, as it inevitably does as a parent of three and a dedicated freelancer, I never lose sight of how fortunate I am to have a talent that can be put to use part-time and that I can be selective with my clients.

If you want to be a Second Shift Featured Member please fill out this form! 

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Get Some Grit

Kate Nowlan is a Second Shift member whose life and career are defined by the word grit. Her success story inspired her to start a platform, Graced By Grit, to help other women find their power, passion and purpose. She believes life is a marathon and those with resilience finish the race on top.

If you have dreams of being an entreprenuer or solopreneur Kate says this is a great time because there is opportunity, new technology and you can use your grit to be an opportunist and make it happen!

 

Watch the webinar with Kate here. 

 

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Create the Mindset to Achieve Your Dreams!

 

 

Dr Samantha Boardman is a Positive Psychiatrist who focuses on wellbeing and the creation of health and success. She is the author of Everyday Vitality and a weekly newsletter, The Dose.  Our webinar had some tech glitches… but we learned a lot about how mindset affects personal and professional outcomes.

 

Here are the biggest takeaways:

  • What you do everyday affects how you feel and your behavior affects your mental and emotional vitality.
  • Write down three things that you value most in your life and how you actually spend your time. The gap between is what you need to focus on. Spend your free time creating more overlap so your values are aligned with your actual day to day.
  • Go delight hunting every day– do things that are wellsprings of vitality and will boost your confidence and uplift your sprit
  • The three actions you can take every day to increase your happiness are: make meaningful connections, have experiences that challenge you, contribute in some way to something outside of yourself that makes you feel good.

 

You can watch the entire webinar here! 

 

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